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But, the truth is the last thing the UDP needs right now is a costly internal battle for the mayoral nomination, because as even Party Leader Dean Barrow concedes - the next municipal will be tough for the UDP in the city. They've controlled city hall for 11 years - going on 12 - which means the party has won four in a row. Today mayoral hopeful Dion Leslie told us he is aware of the challenges:

Dion Leslie, UDP Mayoral Aspirant
"Yes we've been in since 2006 and I will be the first to admit that this election come 2018 will probably be the most difficult one for the UDP municipal body in Belize City, especially being that we've lost some ground over the past election, in terms of Caribbean Shores is now under Kareem Musa and Lake I is now under a PUP representative as well. So it will be difficult. It won't be a walk in the park. It's never a walk in the park, but it won't be as easy as it was in the previous years and so with that we know what we are going up against and we've move in areas like Caribbean Shores, in areas like Lake I and in areas like Fort George. We've mobilize our team to be in there to get the work done, to start to have a face again in that area so people can know it's not just around election time you see us, but we are in there, we are doing transfers and new registrations in Lake I. I believe so far between myself and Jason Edwards, we are 40 or so transfers and new registrations. So we do know it's going to be a lot of work. I believe when it comes to the residents and the love relationship as you say it, they see the work that the Belize City Council has done under Darrell Bradley, under a UDP central government and central governments' in for another three and a half years almost. So I think the people know that they want the work to continue, they seen us, we've been tested, we've been tried, we've performed and we will continue to do so. So the people know what they are getting - you don't leave the bone for the shadow, basically."

Leslie confirmed that councilor Alifah Elrington has also submitted her name as a councillor nominee. She had originally decided to sit out this election, but Leslie says he appealed to her personally on the deadline day to submit her name. Elrington is seen as important because she is an attorney, but also because she has her father Wilfred Elrington's rather solid Pickstock voting bloc behind her. Leslie topped the polls in the last City Council election and the last convention.